JP2019023510A - Sealed electric connector assembly and wire seal - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide profit of reducing or eliminating longitudinal compression of a seal, and thus reducing or eliminating transmission or displacement of longitudinal vibration to a terminal passing through the seal.SOLUTION: Provided is a seal 10 configured to engage with a slender element (for example, a wire cable) and a cavity wall. The seal comprises a seal body 12 formed of a tracking material such as silicon rubber. The seal has an outer surface 14 engaging with a cavity surface. The seal body forms a passage penetrating the seal body, and surrounded by an inner surface 18 of the seal body. The seal body has a front surface 20 extending from a front edge part 22 of the outer surface to a front edge part 22 of the inner surface, and a rear surface 26 extending from a rear edge part 28 of the outer surface 14 to a rear edge part of the inner surface. The seal further comprises a support element 32 formed of a hard material (for example, glass-filled polyester or nylon) penetrating the seal body in a direction substantially parallel with the inner surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of US patent application Ser. No. 15 / 614,012, filed Jun. 5, 2017.

  [0002] The present invention relates to sealed electrical connectors, and more particularly to wire seals for sealing electrical cables in a terminal cavity of a connector housing.

  [0003] In many applications, it is necessary to attach electrical cables to terminals or connector housings and to seal connections against environmental contaminants (eg, moisture, dust, etc.). To achieve this, so-called single wire seals are known in the art. A single wire seal is placed over the cable sheath and provides a seal between the inner wall of the terminal or connector housing and the cable.

  [0004] A typical prior art document dealing with elastic single wire seals is US Pat. No. 4,895,533. This document discloses a waterproof plug for a connector. The waterproof plug includes a rubber plug having an outer tube portion that can be attached to the inner wall of the connector housing, a fixed tube that is fixedly attached adjacent to the outer tube portion of the rubber plug, and an electric wire insertion hole in the central portion thereof. It has. A typical further prior art document dealing with elastic single wire seals is German Patent No. 1,828,482. This document discloses a single wire seal for sealing the gap between the conductor and the connector housing. The reinforcement region is joined to the seal region of the seal body. Further, the reinforcing rib is connected to the hollow cylindrical base of the reinforcing region on the first side and to the seal lip on the adjacent second side.

  [0005] In order to form a seal between the wire cable and the connector housing, a lateral compression of the seal is required. However, such cable seals can also be compressed in the longitudinal direction. As a result, unwanted movement of the terminals in the connector housing occurs. This can cause intermittent electrical disconnection and / or fretting corrosion of the terminals. Accordingly, there remains a need for a cable seal that reduces or eliminates longitudinal compression while still allowing lateral compression.

  [0006] The subject matter described in the Background section should not be presumed to be prior art solely from the description in the Background section. Similarly, problems described in the Background section or related to the subject matter in the Background section should not be presumed as previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the Background section is merely representative of various approaches, which can themselves be inventions.

  [0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a seal is provided that is configured to engage an elongate element (eg, a wire cable) and a cavity wall, eg, in a connector body. The seal includes a seal body formed from a compliant material. The seal has an outer surface configured for sealing engagement with the cavity wall. The seal body forms a passage through the seal body along the longitudinal axis. This passage is surrounded by the inner surface of the seal body. The seal body further includes a front surface extending from the front edge of the outer surface to the front edge of the inner surface. The seal body includes a rear surface extending from the rear edge of the outer surface to the rear edge of the inner surface. The seal further comprises a support element formed from a rigid material and extending through the seal body in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

  [0008] The hard material may be a hard polymer material (eg, glass-filled polyester or glass-filled polyamide material) having a Shore A durometer value in the range of 75-85. The compliant material may be a soft polymer material (eg, silicone rubber) having a Shore A durometer value in the range of 45-55. The hard material forming the support element may have a Shore A durometer value that is at least 20 points higher than the compliant material forming the seal body.

  [0009] The seal body and the passage may each be characterized as having a generally cylindrical shape centered about the longitudinal axis. The support element may be characterized as having a generally cylindrical shape. The mesial portion of the support element may form a circumferential top or circumferential groove.

  [0010] The seal may have a plurality of support elements arranged radially about the longitudinal axis. The plurality of support elements may be arranged equidistant from the longitudinal axis. Each support element of the plurality of support elements may be disposed equidistant from two adjacent support elements of the plurality of support elements.

  [0011] The support element may extend only from the front surface to the rear surface. Alternatively, the first portion of the support element extends beyond the front surface, the second portion of the support element is between the front surface and the back surface, and the third portion of the support element extends beyond the back surface. Extend. The first and third portions have a larger diameter than the second portion. The first, second and third portions may each be characterized as having a generally cylindrical shape. The first part may have a rounded front edge and the third part may have a rounded rear edge.

  [0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector assembly is provided. The electrical connector assembly includes the above-described handling and a connector housing that forms a terminal cavity and a seal cavity that communicates with the terminal cavity. The seal cavity defines a cavity wall. The seal is received within the seal cavity and the other surface is in sealing engagement with the cavity wall. The electrical connector assembly further includes a wire cable having an end. This end is terminated by an electrical terminal and is received in the terminal cavity. The inner surface is in sealing engagement with the wire cable. The electrical connector assembly further includes a seal retainer attached to the connector housing configured to secure the seal within the seal cavity.

  [0013] In a preferred embodiment, the seal cavity defines a front wall having an opening that allows access to the terminal cavity. The support element may be configured to contact the front wall and the seal retainer.

  [0014] The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a seal according to one embodiment. [0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an electrical cable assembly comprising the seal of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. [0017] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment. [0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a process for assembling the electrical cable assembly of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment. [0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a seal according to another embodiment.

  FIG. 1 shows a non-limiting example of a seal 10. Seal 10 is in sealing engagement with an elongated element (eg, a wire cable, etc.) and a cavity wall (eg, a cavity in an electrical connector housing). As used herein, seal engagement means inhibiting liquid, solid or gas from passing there between. That does not necessarily mean that a hermetic seal is formed. The seal 10 includes a seal body 12 formed from a followable material (for example, silicone rubber). The outer surface 14 of the seal 10 is in sealing engagement with the cavity wall. The seal body 12 forms a passage 16 extending through the seal body 12 along the longitudinal axis X. The passage 16 is surrounded by an inner surface 18 of the seal body 12 that sealingly engages the elongated body. The seal body 12 includes a front surface 20 that extends from the front edge 22 of the outer surface 14 to the front edge 24 of the inner surface 18 and a rear surface that extends from the rear edge 28 of the outer surface 14 to the rear edge 30 of the inner surface 18. 26. The seal 10 further includes a plurality of support elements 32 that are in sealing engagement with the seal body 12. Each of the support elements 32 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is disposed in the cylindrical passage 34. The cylindrical passage 34 passes through the seal body 12. The cylindrical passages 34 are arranged radially around the longitudinal axis X. The support elements 32 are arranged equidistant from the longitudinal axis X, and are arranged equidistant from two adjacent support elements 32 of the plurality of support elements. The support element 32 is formed from a hard material (eg, 30% glass-filled polyester or 30% glass-filled polyamide (nylon)). The support element 32 extends through the seal body 12 in a direction substantially parallel to the inner surface 18. Each of the seal body 12 and the passage 16 has a substantially cylindrical shape with the longitudinal axis X as the center. Each of the support elements 32 may form a circumferential groove or top (not shown) to prevent the support element 32 from being pushed out of the passage 34. Each of the support elements 32 extends only from the front surface 20 of the seal body 12 to the rear surface 26 of the seal body 12. The outer surface and the inner surface form flexible ribs configured to engage the cavity wall and the elongated element, respectively.

  [0021] The support element 32 may be inserted into the seal body 12 after the seal body 12 is molded, or may be molded with the seal body 12 in a second shot process.

  [0022] The hard material forming the compliant material forming the seal body 12 has a Shore A durometer value in the range of 45-55, while the support element 32 has a Shore A durometer value in the range of 75-85. Have The Shore A durometer value of the hard material is preferably at least 20 points higher than the Shore A durometer value of the compliant material.

  [0023] FIG. 2 illustrates a non-limiting example of an electrical connector assembly 36 that incorporates the seal 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 and described above. The electrical connector assembly 36 includes a wire cable 38. The wire cable 38 includes an insulating jacket having an end that is terminated by an electrical terminal 40. The electrical connector assembly 36 further includes a seal 10 that surrounds a portion of the insulation jacket of the wire cable 38. The inner surface 18 of the seal 10 is in sealing engagement with the wire cable 38. The electrical connector assembly 36 further includes a connector housing 42 formed from an insulating material (eg, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polyimide (nylon)). The connector housing 42 forms a terminal cavity 44 that receives the electrical terminals 40 of the wire cable 38 and a seal cavity 46 that communicates with the terminal cavity 44 and receives the seal 10. As shown here, the terminal 40 is housed in an intermediate housing inserted into the terminal cavity 44. The seal cavity 46 defines a cavity wall 48 and the outer surface 14 is in sealing engagement with the cavity wall 48. The seal cavity 46 defines a front wall 50 having an opening 52 that allows access to the terminal cavity 44. The front end 54 of the support element 32 contacts this front wall 50 when the seal 10 is inserted into the seal cavity 46. The electrical connector assembly 36 further includes a seal retainer 56 that is attached to the connector housing 42 by a pair of snap fittings 58. The seal holding portion 56 fixes the seal 10 in the seal cavity 46. The rear end 60 of the support element 32 contacts the seal holder 56.

  [0024] FIGS. 3-15 illustrate and describe a non-limiting example of a process 100 for assembling the electrical connector assembly 36 shown in FIG. The process 100 includes the following steps.

  [0025] Step 102, the step of providing the wire cable and the seal extension comprises the step of preparing the wire cable 38 and the seal extension 62 shown in FIG. The seal extension 62 has a conical tip 64 and a cylindrical body 66 that forms an instrument cavity (not shown) in which the electrical terminals 40 of the wire cable 38 are received.

  [0026] Step 104, ie the step of inserting a terminal into the seal extension, comprises the step of inserting the terminal 40 into the instrument cavity of the seal extension 62 as shown in FIG.

  [0027] Step 106, the step of inserting the tip of the seal extension into the passage of the seal, is the step of inserting the tip 64 of the seal extension 62 into the passage 16 of the seal 10, as shown in FIG. It has.

  [0028] Step 108, the process of sliding the seal around the seal expander, is such that the wire cable 38 is received in the passage 16 and the inner surface 18 of the seal 10 is moved, as shown in FIGS. Sliding the seal 10 about the cylindrical body 66 and conical tip 64 of the seal extension 62 until the wire cable 38 is in sealing engagement. Due to the radial arrangement of the support elements 32 around the passage 16, the seal body 12 extends and expands the diameter of the passage 16 around the conical tip 64.

  [0029] Step 110, the step of removing the terminal from the seal extension, comprises the step of removing the terminal 40 from the instrument cavity of the seal extension 62, as shown in FIG.

  [0030] Step 112, ie the step of preparing a connector housing, comprises the step of preparing a connector housing 42, as shown in FIG.

  [0031] Step 114, the step of inserting the terminal tips and seals into the connector housing, includes inserting the electrical terminals 40 into the terminal cavities 44 of the connector housing 42, as shown in FIG. Inserting the seal 10 into the seal cavity 46 of the connector housing 42 such that 14 is in sealing engagement with the seal cavity.

  [0032] Step 116, ie, attaching the seal holder to the connector housing comprises attaching the seal holder 56 to the connector housing 42 as shown in FIGS. The seal holding part 56 contacts the rear end 60 of the support element 32 as shown in FIG. The seal retainer 56 pushes the seal 10 forward within the seal cavity 46 as shown in FIG. 14 until the front end 54 of the support element 32 contacts the front wall 50 of the seal cavity 46 as shown in FIG. To do.

  [0033] Another non-limiting example seal 10 'is shown in FIG. In this seal 10 ', the first portion 68' of the support element 32 'extends beyond the front surface 20' of the seal body 12 'and the second portion 70' of the support element 32 'is connected to the front surface 20'. And the rear face 26 ', a third portion 72' of the support element 32 'extends beyond the rear face 26'. The first portion 68 'and the third portion 72' have a larger diameter than the second portion 70 'and extend laterally beyond the second portion 70'. The first portion 68 'and the third portion 72' form a mushroom-shaped or "mushroom-shaped" head 74 '. The head 74 ′ has a substantially cylindrical shape having a rounded front edge 76 ′ and a rounded rear edge 78 ′.

  [0034] The examples presented herein are directed to electrical connector assemblies, but other seals configured for use with other elongated elements (eg, optical cables, pneumatic piping and / or hydraulic piping). Embodiments can also be envisaged. The seal may be configured for use with a connector housing that is used to interconnect any of these.

  [0035] Thus, a seal 10 having a support element 32 that resists longitudinal compression and an electrical connector assembly 36 incorporating such a seal 10 are provided. The seal 10 provides the benefit of reducing or eliminating longitudinal compression of the seal 10 and thus reducing or eliminating transmission or displacement of longitudinal vibrations through the seal 10 to the terminal 40.

  [0036] Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but only by the scope presented in the following claims. Intended. Furthermore, the use of terms such as first, second, etc. does not indicate the order of importance, but is used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of terms such as a, an, etc. does not indicate a limitation of quantity, but indicates the presence of at least one of the mentioned items. Furthermore, directional terms, such as top, bottom, etc., do not indicate a particular orientation, but are used to distinguish one element from another and to define positional relationships between various elements. .

Claims (20)

A seal (10) configured to engage the elongated element (38) and the cavity wall (48),
A seal body (12) formed from a compliant material having an outer surface (14) configured to seal-engage with the cavity wall (48), the inner surface (18) of the seal body (12) A sealed body (12) forming a passage (16) surrounded by a longitudinal axis (X) and extending through the sealed body (12);
The seal body (12) further comprises:
A front surface (20) extending from a front edge (22) of the outer surface (14) to a front edge (22) of the inner surface (18);
A rear surface (26) extending from a rear edge (28) of the outer surface (14) to a rear edge (28) of the inner surface (18),
The seal (10) further comprises a support element (32) formed from a rigid material that penetrates the seal body (12) in a direction substantially parallel to the inner surface (18). A seal (10) according to claim 1, comprising:
The hard material has a Shore A durometer value that is at least 20 points higher than the compliant material. A seal (10) according to claim 1, comprising:
The seal body (12) and the passage (16) are each characterized as having a substantially cylindrical shape centered on the longitudinal axis (X). A seal (10) according to claim 3,
Said support element (32) is characterized as having a substantially cylindrical shape seal. A seal (10) according to claim 4,
The seal (10) comprises a plurality of support elements (32) arranged radially about the longitudinal axis (X). A seal (10) according to claim 5, comprising:
The plurality of support elements (32) are disposed equidistant from the longitudinal axis (X). A seal (10) according to claim 6, comprising:
Each support element (32) of the plurality of support elements (32) is disposed equidistant from two adjacent support elements (32) of the plurality of support elements (32). A seal (10) according to claim 4,
The mesial portion of the support element (32) forms a circumferential top seal. A seal (10) according to claim 4,
The mesial portion of the support element (32) forms a circumferential groove seal. A seal (10) according to claim 4,
The support element (32) extends only from the front surface (20) to the rear surface (26). A seal (10 ') according to claim 1,
A first portion (68 ′) of the support element (32 ′) extends beyond the front surface (20 ′);
A second portion (70 ′) of the support element (32 ′) is between the front surface (20 ′) and the rear surface;
A third portion (72 ') of the support element (32') extends beyond the rear surface (26 ');
The first portion (68 ') and the third portion (72') have a larger diameter than the second portion (70 '). A seal (10 ') according to claim 11,
The first portion, the second portion, and the third portion (72 ') are each characterized as having a generally cylindrical shape seal. A seal (10 ') according to claim 11,
The first portion (68 ′) has a rounded front edge (76 ′);
Said third part (72 ') has a rounded rear edge (78') seal. A seal (10) according to claim 1, comprising:
The hard material is a hard polymer material having a Shore A durometer value in the range of 75 or more and 85 or less. A seal (10) according to claim 14, comprising:
The hard material is selected from the group consisting of glass filled polyester and glass filled polyamide. A seal (10) according to claim 1, comprising:
The followable material is a soft polymer material having a Shore A durometer value in the range of 45 or more and 55 or less. A seal (10) according to claim 16, comprising:
The followable material is silicone rubber. An electrical connector assembly (36) comprising:
The seal (10) of claim 1;
A connector housing (42) forming a terminal cavity (44) and a seal cavity (46) communicating with the terminal cavity (44);
The sealing cavity (46) defines the cavity wall (48);
The seal (10) is received in the seal cavity (46), the outer surface (14) is in sealing engagement with the cavity wall (48);
The electrical connector assembly (36) further includes a wire cable (38) terminated by an electrical terminal (40) and having an end received within the terminal cavity (44);
The inner surface (18) is in sealing engagement with the wire cable (38);
The electrical connector assembly (36) further includes a seal retainer (56) attached to the connector housing (42) and configured to secure the seal (10) within the seal cavity (46). Electrical connector assembly. The electrical connector assembly (36) of claim 18, comprising:
The sealing cavity (46) defines a front wall (50) having an opening (52) that allows access to the terminal cavity (44);
The electrical connector assembly, wherein the support element (32) is configured to contact the front wall (50). The electrical connector assembly (36) according to claim 19, comprising:
The electrical connector assembly, wherein the support element (32) is configured to contact the seal retainer (56).

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